Abstract: A system and method of managing, storing, and accessing cross references between related kinds of sub-record information in a computerized engineering database. A generic cross reference table which contains all the cross reference links for all the data items in all the data tables of the engineering database, is provided. Each link in the generic cross reference table is constituted by two records (1) a forward record with a specified link from a data item in a first data table to a record or a data item in a second data table, plus (2) a reverse record (partner record) with the link from the data item in the second data table to the record or an item in the first data table. Preferably, the link record in the cross reference table contains a link type value selected from a set of pre-defined link types for the pair of link points, comments associated with the link at the time of creation, and other link-creation information such as the identification of the user who created the link.

Abstract: A system and method for obtaining complete and correct answers from incomplete and/or partially incorrect databases determine if the answer to a query will be complete by determining whether the answer to the query is independent of an insertion update to the database. If the answer to the query is independent of an insertion update, the system and the method determine that the answer to the query will be complete. In the case of databases that may be incorrect, the system and the method determine if the answer to a given query will be correct by determining if the answer to the query is independent of a deletion update to the database. If the answer to the query is independent of a deletion update, the system and the method determine that the answer to the query will be correct.

Abstract: A method for controlling a database comprises storing field definitions defining a version of the database, storing an effectivity table including descriptors corresponding to the versions and field definitions and an effective date for each and storing records with data for the fields along with a date when the record was created. When the version of the database is changed, only revised field definitions are stored and the stored effectivity table is updated only with changes in a state of field definitions and/or version changes and the effective date thereof.

Abstract: A method for synchronizing a first database with a second database in which the first database contains a plurality of database records. The first database is divided into a plurality of segments. Each of the segments contains at least one database record. The segments are transmitted sequentially from the first database to the second database until all segments have been transmitted to the second database.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and apparatus for distributing data of a table substantially uniformly across a parallel database system having a plurality of interlinked database nodes. Data of the table is distributed across a group of nodes (nodegroup) in accordance with a partitioning arrangement. Resource loading, for example, the workload or storage volume of the nodes is monitored. Data is moved from one or more nodes having higher resource loading to nodes having lower resource loading to achieve a substantially uniform distribution of the resource loading across the group of nodes concerned. In the course of moving data the selection of groups of data to be moved is performed in a manner to reduce the amount of data movement.

Abstract: A system and method for ensuring the security and integrity of applications and databases. The present invention provides a user management system which allows permissive access to applications and stored procedures using a directed acyclic graph structure which allows users or groups of users to have the capability to access the desired applications and stored procedures. Also provided is a version control management system which ensures a user is using the desired or current version of an application and also provides a framework for a developer to develop an application and install it on the system.

Abstract: The present invention subdivides a growing data collection into individual compartments while preserving the overall logical data context. The data is stored as information units, and each information unit comprises a set of data elements and a set of index elements. The information units are classified information units into a plurality of information unit types. The index elements are classified into a plurality of index classes. The information unit types associated with a query are determined and a search scope is determined based on the information unit types. The query is processed by generating subqueries referencing the index classes corresponding to the information unit types.

Abstract: For use with a computer system having a dynamic data referencing (DDR) module, a plurality of external data references accessible via the DDR module, the computer system capable of executing a user application that operates on a plurality of generic variables, a system and method for dynamically binding the external data references to the generic variables. The system includes a DDR routine within the user application that allows creation of an alias variable for at least some of the plurality of generic variables. The alias variable is adapted to identify a given external data reference. The user application employs the alias variable at runtime to request the DDR module to bind a given generic variable to the given external data reference to allow communication of data between the user application and the external references.

Abstract: BIOS updating is performed after saving an old BIOS to a spare storage area. A current version BIOS stored in a first bank of a flash ROM is moved to a second bank of the flash ROM, and a new BIOS supplied from a home server to a network interface card is stored in the first bank to complete BIOS updating. If the new BIOS does not run well, the old BIOS in the second bank of the flash ROM is moved to the first bank through a RAM to be reinstalled.

Abstract: A system for compressing a first file based on a second file used as a dictionary. The second file is sampled at predetermined locations within the second file, each sample having a fixed sample length. A dictionary database is created by storing each sample and a start position within the second file of the corresponding sample. The first file is compared to the dictionary database to locate any matches that exist between the first file and the stored samples of the dictionary database. In turn, the first file is encoded by outputting coded segments for each match located by this comparison of the source file and the dictionary database and uncoded segments for all remaining portions of the first file.

Abstract: Processes and apparatuses are provided for generating file correspondency between a source computer and a target computer. The process comprises determining a first source file key for at least a portion of the source file and searching for an existing file having at least a portion thereof represented by a first existing file key which matches the first source file key. If the first existing file key is located and if the portion of the existing file represented by the first existing file key is also disposed on the target computer, the file correspondency is generated by accessing the portion of the existing file represented by the first existing file key which is disposed on the target computer.

Abstract: A property arithmetic system is provided that can isolate modifications made to one object and apply the modifications to another object. Such isolation and application of modifications are referred to as property arithmetic. The term "arithmetic" is used as an analogy between computations performed on properties of an object and computations performed on numbers. Using this arithmetic, a user's modifications to the properties of an object can be easily isolated by subtracting the original property values from the modified property values. Once isolated, the modifications can be applied to a different object so that the user does not have to manually recreate their modifications. In the property arithmetic system, properties of an object are stored in a property list. The property list not only contains properties, but can also contain other property lists, which provides flexibility in their use. Furthermore, the property list is stored in a contiguous block of memory.

Abstract: When an operation such as a move, name change, copy, deletion, etc. is performed for document data, a history manager stores history information of the operation in a history table. Upon receipt of the notification that retrieval of the document data is unsuccessfully made from a document processing application, the history manager searches the history table, and returns new identification information stored after an update operation is performed. The document processing application obtains the new identification information, and retrieves the corresponding document data from a file system.

Abstract: A full-text data base retrieving device retrieves a data base in accordance with a query. A full-text index has character location information representative of location of each of key character sequences of N characters that appear in the data base, where N is a positive integer. A query memory memorizes the query as a retrieval key character sequence. A separating section separates the retrieval key character sequence into a plurality of retrieval key character sequences of N characters to extract contexts as extracted contexts from the retrieval key character sequence in accordance with the retrieval key character sequences. A context classifying section classifies the extracted contexts into classified contexts having the classification numbers, respectively. An index retrieving section retrieves the full-text index in accordance with the sorts of the retrieval key character sequences and the classified contexts to read the character location information as a retrieval result out of the full-text index.

Abstract: A variety of methods and apparatus for managing a database in a object oriented environment are disclosed. According to the present invention, a database is provided which includes a database cache and a persistent database portion. Clients of the database are able to write quickly and asynchronously to the database cache, which may be located in transient memory such as random access memory. In order to maintain consistency between the state of the client and the state in the database, the data in the database cache must be written to the persistent database portion. In preferred embodiments a time commit thread executing in a computer process will, in single operations performed at predetermined intervals and when predetermined conditions are met, commit the data in the database cache into the persistent database portion. Thus through the strategies of the present invention, a single client database can have multiple clients.

Abstract: A system for organizing access to a database that is distributed over an electronic network includes a system site on a dedicated server. A list of addresses to approved database sites on an electronic network stored on the system site is accessed by a user with a browser application. Reference cards permit the user to search and review the list of approved sites. In a first preferred embodiment, a request for access to a database site is made to the dedicated server. Access is denied for a non-approved site. An approved database is retrieved by the dedicated server. Each database link to an approved site is modified from direct to indirect to require all future access to be directed through the dedicated server. Links not in the list of approved sites will have their access denied. In a second, equally preferred embodiment, code defining a database location is removed at the dedicated server to de-activate links to non-approved database sites.

Abstract: An information storage system selects target segments for garbage collection only if their age in the information storage system exceeds an age threshold value and, once past the age threshold, in the order of least utilized segments first. The system determines the age of a segment by determining the amount of time a segment has been located in direct access storage devices (DASD) of the information storage system and considers a segment for garbage collection only after the segment has been located in DASD for the selected age threshold value. From the set of candidate segments, the system chooses one or more for garbage collection in the order in which they will yield the most free space. The free space yield is determined by utilization data, so that the least utilized segments are garbage-collected first.

Abstract: An object-oriented database management system comprises a query processing system for controlling an entire query processing and a database access system which is connected to a database and performs access to the database according to a query from the query processing system. The system performs operation processing, wherein the database access system includes a pointer retrieving part which retrieves, from the database, all pointers to joined keys described in a query conditional expression produced from the query processing system, prior to the join operation, and produces a set of pointers to the joined keys. A join operation part uses the set of pointers produced by the pointer retrieving part to perform the join operation and to evaluate the query conditional expression while acquiring a concatenated key value.

Abstract: A database system can be formed by combining a plurality of single-association databases each associated with a database driver. A single-association database contains a plurality of records, and each record associates one piece of data with another piece of data. Each database driver contains a parameter file and is designed to perform searches on its associated database. Each database driver also contains means for sending a command to the parameter file of another database driver. The recipient database driver executes the command without returning result of execution to the sending database driver. The database system also contains a software module for interacting with the database drivers to achieve a desired search result.

Abstract: A distributed database architecture stores medical information in a self-updating system that employs point-of-service stations disposed at convenient medical service locations. Each patient carries a portable data carrier such as a smart card that contains the patient's complete medical history. Interaction between the portable data carriers and the point-of-service stations effects a virtual communication link that ties the distributed databases together without the need for online or live data connections. The point-of-service stations are also interconnected over a communications network through a switching station that likewise does not rely on online, live communication. The database system uses an object-oriented update object to distribute data that has been generated when a portable data carrier is not physically present and to automatically distribute data without the necessity of accessing a masterfile.